Typemoon: Starting Out as the Lion King [143]

Credits: Karman Brar

After an irresistible interlude involving Alaric, Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others finally ascended the towering monument, entered the grand hall, and came face-to-face with the pure white King!

The once lively and bustling grand hall was now silent, with only the king seated alone on the throne, waiting for the world's end.

As Fujimaru Ritsuka, the others, and Alaric entered the hall, the Lion King finally opened her eyes.

At this moment, Mash gently set Alaric down and summoned her shield, positioning herself in front of Fujimaru Ritsuka.

"That is the Lion King, Artoria Pendragon!"

Da Vinci gazed at the pure white king, her sharp eyes analyzing the divine aura and the waves of magical energy emanating from the figure. There was no doubt: this was the presence of a true god.

And then—

The Lion King's cold gaze ignored Fujimaru Ritsuka, Mash, and the others, instead settling on the only knight present in the room. Slowly, she spoke:

"My knight, do you believe my love was a mistake?"

Alaric, struggling to stand, faced the Lion King as he had for the past six months. He replied firmly:

"My king, I believe you are wrong. That is why I have come this far, standing before you once again.

I believe your method of salvation for humanity is flawed. As your knight, I must correct you."

After a brief moment of silence, the Lion King spoke again:

"Then die. In the ideal city I have created, your existence is no longer needed."

Boom!

An icy killing intent surged forth, accompanied by an overwhelming wave of magical power, leaving Alaric with the illusion of being swept away by a roaring tempest!

"—Then, I shall release the Holy Lance. Look closely, Sir Alaric. This is the wave of the end, revealing the true face of this planet after the world has been stripped away."

As the Lion King took hold of the Holy Lance Rhongomyniad, a wave of light erupted from behind the throne—a wave Alaric had seen once before, now surging forth to envelop the entire world.

A howling storm accompanied the blinding wave of light, sweeping across the battlefield!

Tap. Tap.

As the world was stripped away, the Lion King finally rose from the throne and began walking toward Alaric.

Everything godlike about her was fully revealed.

"The Lion King... she has been standing at the world's end all along!"

As the world was stripped bare, Da Vinci's expression grew tense. The situation had gone far beyond her ability to manage.

Mash, too, stared gravely at the approaching Lion King. "The Lion King has left her throne. She's entering combat mode!"

The Lion King did not raise her holy lance. Instead, she casually lifted her hand and pointed it at Alaric.

Unlike with Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others, Alaric's pupils constricted. He recognized the Lion King's gesture all too well—it was something he had experienced not long ago.

A radiant beam of light burst forth from her fingertips, faster than anyone could react, striking Alaric directly!

Boom!!

Already gravely injured, Alaric was blasted away by the light, nearly engulfed by the surrounding waves of light. Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others, preoccupied with the Lion King, were unable to assist him.

Though the attack did not kill Alaric, it left him sprawled on the ground, unable to move.

It was as if Alaric had been struck by a high-speed train. His mind buzzed, rendering him incapable of coherent thought.

"Answer me—who are you?

 Answer me—why have you returned?

 Answer me—why do you stand before me again?"

In his dazed state, the Lion King's questions seemed to pierce into Alaric's very soul. Though he knew these words were not truly directed at him, they still filled him with unease and doubt.

Can I succeed?

Will I fail?

Bang!

Alaric, his face contorted in pain, struck the ground with his fist. Struggling, he raised his head, forcing himself to gaze at the battlefield ahead.

There, before the world's end, stood two young women radiating a brilliance that even Alaric admired.

They were like the lone stars shining on a night.

"To expand the land, build cities, cross the seas, and cleave the skies. For what purpose...

O Holy Lance, reveal the end! Shine, Spear of the End!!"

"That which can heal all wounds and hatred—our homeland. Appear now, the faraway ideal city!"

The shield imbued with the Knight King's thoughts transformed the wielder's inner resolve into miraculous power. The stronger the heart, the more unbreakable the shield.

Even the Lion King's Holy Lance could not break it—

The dazzling brilliance filled Alaric's entire vision. Yet, even as he watched the two girls facing the terrifying light of the Holy Lance with unwavering determination, Alaric himself could not withstand even the residual shockwaves.

Unnoticed by anyone, Alaric was swept away by the force, flung directly into the so-called wave of the end!

When Alaric regained consciousness, the battle had advanced to its climax. However, the combatants were no longer Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash—it was a knight.

The knight who had embarked on a long journey of atonement.

The true Sword of Promised Victory, Excalibur, shone with unparalleled brilliance at the world's end, a light so radiant that even the Lion King could not ignore it.

"That is—Excalibur, the Sword of Promised Victory!

You... you were once my knight!"

For the first time, the Lion King displayed an expression Alaric had never seen before—panic, a profoundly human emotion.

The Arthur who wielded the Holy Lance had long since become the King of the Dead in her millennia of wandering. Any trace of humanity should have been extinguished.

Yet, the appearance of this knight alone could bring forth a spark of humanity from the Lion King.

"I must thank you on behalf of the entire Round Table. You bore the burden of that dark era alone, never experiencing the glory of the Round Table.

Brave and noble Knight of the King, savior of Britain, you are our shining star—

My king, my lord... At last, I can return this sword to you."

As the lance pierced the body that had turned to dust, the Round Table Knight Bedivere returned the Holy Sword.

After 1,500 years of atonement, his journey had finally reached its end at the world's edge.

"Ah, I see now... I finally remember—"

The Lion King, now holding the Holy Sword, wore a serene expression. Her faint smile radiated warmth, no longer cold and unyielding.

"Well done, Sir Bedivere. You have fulfilled your king's command beautifully."

Hearing the Lion King's praise, Bedivere smiled in satisfaction before dissolving entirely into dust.

Clang.

The Holy Lance Rhongomyniad fell to the ground with a crisp sound.

"Sir Bedivere eliminated.

Holy Sword confirmed returned."

Mash gazed sorrowfully at the spot where Bedivere had once stood.

["I've also confirmed the collapse of the Singularity! The gravitational anomalies disrupting the timeline have disappeared! With the Holy Lance gone, the Holy City is vanishing as well. This era's chaos is completely resolved!"]

Roman's voice echoed as he provided updates.

The Lion King, holding the Holy Sword, silently gazed at Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others.

The crisis had passed, but Da Vinci still wore a worried expression. Seeing the Lion King's unyielding gaze, she forced a smile and said, "What, do you still want to go another round?"

Before her voice could fade, faint motes of light began emanating from Da Vinci's body.

The sudden change made Da Vinci's expression stiffen as she hurriedly exclaimed, "Wait, Roman, why am I disappearing?"

Not only Da Vinci, but Mash and Fujimaru Ritsuka also began to glow, their bodies rapidly vanishing!

"Doctor! What's going on?"

Fujimaru Ritsuka, confused, examined the light emanating from her body—it was a sign of returning. But why so soon?

Roman quickly provided an answer:

["It's the Holy Grail! Da Vinci retrieved the Holy Grail, and now that the Holy Lance has disappeared, the restoration of the timeline is happening rapidly!

Since the Holy City was never meant to exist in this era, the restoration process is especially forceful! Anything that doesn't belong to this era is being forcibly returned to its 'original place.'

But don't worry, Da Vinci, Fujimaru Ritsuka, Mash—you're not disappearing. You're just being sent back to Chaldea."]

But then—

Hearing Roman's explanation, Fujimaru Ritsuka paused, then turned to glance at the corner of the battlefield that everyone had unconsciously ignored.

Tap. Tap.

Amid the world's end, clear footsteps echoed as a staggering figure re-emerged before everyone.

"It's not over yet!!!"

As Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others were about to leave, a roar reverberated throughout the Tower of the End.